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Tuesday, 9 June 2020

Apple's COVID-19 Screening Tool Now Lets You Anonymously Share Your Responses With Health Authorities

Apple has updated its COVID-19 screening tool with an option for users to anonymously share their responses with Apple, state public health agencies, and the CDC, including their age, symptoms, and more, as noted by TechCrunch.

Apple says the information collected will be used to improve the tool and to better understand the spread of COVID-19. The company ensures that no personally identifiable information will be shared, such as your name or your phone number. Your information will also be aggregated with others' responses as an additional privacy measure.

Apple's commitment to privacy:

If you choose to share your responses, they will be provided to Apple in a way that does not personally identify you. Apple will then provide reports to the CDC and approved state public health agencies. Only information that has been both de-identified and aggregated will be provided to the CDC and state public health agencies. This means that no information that could identify you or your individual responses to the tool will be included. Information about the pre-existing conditions you select will also not be shared; only the total number of conditions that you select.

The CDC and approved state public health agencies may only use the information to improve the tool and for purposes related to managing the COVID‑19 pandemic. Further, the CDC and state public health agencies are required to comply with privacy and security protections, including not further disclosing the information and implementing appropriate safeguards.

Apple's screening tool allows users to answer a series of questions regarding risk factors, recent exposure, and symptoms and receive CDC recommendations on next steps, including guidance on social distancing and self-isolating, how to closely monitor symptoms, whether or not a test is recommended at this time, and when to contact a medical provider.

The tool, available online and as an iPhone app, also offers access to COVID-19 resources to help people stay informed and get support. For example, there are answers to frequently asked questions about the virus.

The screening tool can be used by anyone who is 18 years of age or older in the United States. Apple says the tool does not replace instructions from healthcare providers or guidance from state and local health authorities.

Tag: COVID-19 Coronavirus

This article, "Apple's COVID-19 Screening Tool Now Lets You Anonymously Share Your Responses With Health Authorities" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple Expected to Announce ARM-Based Mac Plans at WWDC, Transition Away From Intel to Begin in 2021

Apple plans to announce its upcoming shift to ARM-based Macs at its virtual WWDC event later this month, giving developers several months to prepare for the transition, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

The report claims that the first ARM-based Macs will be released in 2021, adding that Apple plans to eventually transition its entire lineup of Mac notebooks and desktops to the custom-designed processors. This lines up with a timeframe shared by analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who said Apple plans to release several ARM-based Macs starting next year.

ARM-based Macs are expected to have several advantages over existing Intel-based Macs, including faster performance and reduced power consumption. Apple would also no longer be at the mercy of Intel's development schedule.

Gurman reiterates that Apple is developing at least three Mac processors, with the first based on the A14 chip in upcoming iPhone 12 models. TSMC is expected to manufacture the Mac processors based on its advanced 5nm process.

Apple's first Mac processor is expected to have 12 cores, including eight high-performance cores and at least four energy-efficient cores. Apple is said to be exploring Mac processors with more than 12 cores for further in the future, with the company apparently designing a second generation of Mac processors based on the A15 chip.

WWDC 2020 begins the week of June 22 as an online-only event. Apple has promised a virtual keynote, where it is expected to introduce iOS 14 and other new software, and seemingly its ARM-based Mac plans too.

Related Roundup: WWDC 2020

Tags: Mark Gurman, Arm Macs

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Apple TV+ Ranked 12th in Customer Satisfaction Index for Video Streaming Services

Apple TV+ is considered to be "below average" for both value and original programming when it comes to customer satisfaction, according to new data shared today by the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI).

Apple debuted in the 2019-20 U.S. annual index in 12th position, with a customer satisfaction rating of 74 out of 100, tying both Google Play and HBO.

Topping the index was Disney+ with a first-time score of 80 out of 100, which puts the new streaming service ahead of former leader Netflix, with 78 out of 100. Like ‌Apple TV‌+, Disney+ launched in November.

Six months after its November 2019 launch, Disney+ had 54.5 million subscribers worldwide. The service has broad appeal to families with content spanning Walt Disney Studios, Pixar, Marvel, National Geographic, and the Star Wars universe—including the breakout series "The Mandalorian." According to viewers, Disney+ is a standout across much of the customer experience and its original content rates best in class.

Elsewhere this year, Hulu (now controlled by Disney) closed in on Netflix, up 1 percent to 77 out of 100. Likewise, the ‌Apple TV‌ app is up 1 percent to 77 for customer satisfaction.

Netflix remains the largest streaming service by far, with about 183 million subscribers worldwide. Apple hasn't released subscriber numbers and has a large number of non-paying customers as the company has been providing everyone who has purchased an Apple device since September with a free year of ‌‌Apple TV‌‌+.

Apple is reportedly in the process of purchasing older movies and shows for its TV+ streaming service in a bid to build a back catalog of content, which will put it in a better position to rival the huge libraries available on Netflix, Hulu, and Disney+. As the ASCI report notes, it will be interesting to see if this improves customer satisfaction in the future.

The telecoms report shows that with more and more Americans stuck at home, video streaming overall has seen a boon in customer satisfaction among telecom industries. With a stable ACSI score of 76, video streaming now outpaces subscription TV by a gap of 12 points.

Tags: Apple TV Shows, Apple TV Plus

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